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Is there a way to put an object on uneven surface? For example: if I make a food object, let's say a toast, and put it on a plate, it's all well if I just put in on the center of the plate, which is mostly flat surface. But what if there are other objects on the plate, and I have to put the toast on the side edge of the plate, which is curved?

I have tried using proportional editing and dragging faces of the toast as near as possible to the plate's surface, but the result is really ugly (perhaps due to my lack of experience and skill). Snapping to the surface seems only worked the best when the objects have flat surfaces.

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  • $\begingroup$ My answer probably better suited to animation, but all or part of it could still be used for posing $\endgroup$
    – Robin Betts
    Mar 19, 2019 at 12:22

2 Answers 2

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If you don't want to go to the expense of simulation, a rig can get you quite close:

  • Prepare a copy of the plate's top surface, its rim (E,right-click, S) extended, as a Shrinkwrap target.

enter image description here

  • Make a triangular face from some vertices of your toast,ShiftD duplicated, and P separated to a new object. This will be the root object, and control the gross orientation and location of the toast.

enter image description here

  • Additionally, create a flat Lattice, (1 segment in Z) which will bend the toast.

enter image description here

  • With the toast and triangle selected, triangle active and in Edit Mode with all verts selected, CtrlP parent the toast to the triangle's vertices
  • in Object Mode, CtrlP parent the Lattice to the triangle.
  • Assign Shrinkwrap modifiers projected in Z, to both the triangle and the lattice, aimed at your newly created Srinkwrap target.
  • Assign a Lattice modifier to the toast, targeted on the Lattice.

Now when you move the triangle, the toast will more-or-less conform to the plate. You can tune the resolution of the Lattice and influence of the Lattice modifier to make the toast more or less soggy, and the offset in the Shrinkwrap modifiers to control the proximity of the toast to the plate.

enter image description here

EDIT: A duff version of the blend replaced: 1400 GMT 19 March.

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  • $\begingroup$ I'm still new to Lattice and Shrinkwrap modifier, but I'll give it a try when I get home. Thanks for the input! $\endgroup$
    – Switch88
    Mar 19, 2019 at 13:05
  • $\begingroup$ @Switch88 Somehow I posted a crazy version of the blend.. make sure you have the latest, if you're downloading. $\endgroup$
    – Robin Betts
    Mar 19, 2019 at 13:58
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You can use the physics engine to place the toast on the plate.

Location of physics tab

Initially position the toast just above the plate and enable rigid body physics in both the plate and the toast. The plate will be static and the toast will be active. You may want to make other objects on the plate static to prevent the toast from sliding further into the plate - but experimentation will enable you to get the look you want.

Run the animation and use the frame after the toast has settled on the plate.

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  • $\begingroup$ I think using physics engine is the way, but somehow the toast is just too rigid. is there a way to make the toast a little bit less... stiff? I mean, to make the toast bend a little when it's on the plate. I tried using soft body on the toast and collision on the plate, but it took a long time to bake and the Blender software froze. $\endgroup$
    – Switch88
    Mar 19, 2019 at 6:44
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    $\begingroup$ is it for an animation, like the toast falling on the plate? You could also try clothes with a high Material > Bending $\endgroup$
    – moonboots
    Mar 19, 2019 at 7:43
  • $\begingroup$ Actually, it's not for an animation. I was aiming for something photo realistic (perhaps the term is "realism", I'm still new in this), so it's a little bit strange for the toast to be as stiff as a board. $\endgroup$
    – Switch88
    Mar 19, 2019 at 11:23
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    $\begingroup$ ok, but in my opinion it's simpler to just subdivide and deform the toast $\endgroup$
    – moonboots
    Mar 19, 2019 at 19:15
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    $\begingroup$ @moonboots: That could be a valid answer within itself. $\endgroup$
    – AJD
    Mar 19, 2019 at 19:30

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